


What If...

by liamsfreckles



Series: We Could be More Than Just Amazing [6]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Kidfic, M/M, Mentions of Sex, Single dad liam, its still just fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-11
Updated: 2016-10-11
Packaged: 2018-08-21 22:14:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8262233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liamsfreckles/pseuds/liamsfreckles
Summary: Once they were done their breakfast, Liam took their bowls to the kitchen and set them in the sink. He glanced outside, watching the rain come down for a moment, then pulled his phone from the pocket of his pj bottoms. He thumbed through his messages until he got to the person he was looking for - the one who settled his bones just by seeing his name.
Zayn.
He typed out a quick ‘mind if me and Eth pop by the studio?’ and pressed send. It took less than a minute for the thumbs up emoji to pop up in response, and Liam snorted, rubbing a thumb idly over his lower lip. 
“Eth, wanna take a trip with daddy and go exploring?”





	

**Author's Note:**

> Part of the _We Could be More Than Just Amazing_ series.

The rain was coming down in sheets, thrumming a steady beat against the large bay windows of Liam’s apartment. He enjoyed days like this: where he didn’t have to go anywhere or wasn’t pressed to finish a project or meet a deadline. 

He kept Ethan home with him today - a day for him and his son to relax and spend some much needed time together. Work had been very busy, with the agency winning some bidding wars for big clients. It meant long work days, and sometimes even longer work nights. 

He’d made the executive decision to take the day off and keep Ethan home after a particularly teary bath time a few days earlier. 

It punched Liam right in the gut.

The two of them were nestled together on the couch, with Liam in a pair of old flannel pj bottoms and a grey henley, and Ethan in his favourite pair of batman footie pj’s, his hair a curly mess atop his head, eyes still puffy with sleep. They each had a bowl of steaming porridge in their laps: Ethan’s with mashed banana and milk, Liam’s with brown sugar and milk, while episodes of Sesame Street played on the telly.

Liam settled his feet on the coffee table, crossing them at the ankles. “It’s weather for the ducks today, eh babe?” He asked, glancing down to his little boy.

Ethan nodded, scooping up a generous heap of his porridge. “Ducks LOVE the rain, daddy!” He exclaimed, wriggling his toes. “Can we go see ducks today?”

Liam hummed, reaching over to help Ethan spoon the porridge into his mouth rather than all over his lap. “Maybe this afternoon, yeah? S’raining pretty hard right now.”

He grinned down at his son when Ethan looked up at him, dark eyes bright. “Is Zee gonna come, too?”

“Zee has work today, baby duck,” he admitted, thumbing a little bit of porridge from Ethan’s cheek. “But he’ll be home for dinner and story time.”

A little pucker formed between Ethan’s brows for a moment, and Liam leaned down to smooth it away, peppering soft kisses over his son’s face, smiling warmly when Ethan began to giggle, little hands coming up to scratch through Liam’s beard.

Once they were done their breakfast, Liam took their bowls to the kitchen and set them in the sink. He glanced outside, watching the rain come down for a moment, then pulled his phone from the pocket of his pj bottoms. He thumbed through his messages until he got to the person he was looking for - the one who settled his bones just by seeing his name.

Zayn.

He typed out a quick ‘ _mind if me and Eth pop by the studio?’_ and pressed send. It took less than a minute for the thumbs up emoji to pop up in response, and Liam snorted, rubbing a thumb idly over his lower lip. 

“Eth, wanna take a trip with daddy and go exploring?”

–

The rain was still coming down in sheets as Liam and Ethan took their walk down towards Zayn’s studio. They wore matching yellow raincoats, black wellington boots, and Ethan had his very own umbrella, while Liam donned a thick grey beanie and pulled the hood of his jacket up as they walked.

He delighted in Ethan’s laughs and giggles as they hopped and skipped through puddles and waddled like ducks down busy London streets. These moments were few and far between these days, and a little rain wasn’t going to stop Liam from taking what he could.

“Are we almost there, daddy?” Ethan asked as he jumped up and down in a small puddle, the umbrella down by his side. 

Liam snorted, righting the umbrella so it was over his son’s head. “Yeah baby duck, we’re almost there.”

They stopped into a coffee shop just across the street from Zayn’s studio, and Liam ordered up two Yorkshire teas and an apple juice for Ethan, along with some scones and croissants to snack on. 

Ethan was a constant stream a conversation, even as they made their way into Zayn’s studio - a shared space with another artist named Harry, who had been Zayn’s friend growing up. 

“Liam!” Harry had greeted them, covered in acrylics and charcoal. “Here to see Zayn?”

Liam nodded, setting the drinks down on a table. “And your lovely face too, mate,” he grinned, helping Ethan out of his dripping raincoat. The little boy squirmed his way out of Liam’s grasp and darted towards the back of the studio. “Careful, Eth! No touching!”

Liam shrugged out of his jacket and thanked Harry when he took both of them to hang up. “He’s been buzzing since he found out you two were coming down,” Harry commented in that slow, honeyed drawl. “He’s proper loved up when it comes to you, Payno.”

Liam pressed his lips together tight to fight off the smile, but the blush that crept up his cheeks gave him away, making Harry laugh out loud. “C’mon, mate. Loverboy’s been waiting on ya.”

-

Zayn was heavy into a piece when a pair of little arms and a small body whacked into his legs, catching him off guard.

“Zee!” Ethan exclaimed, breathless. “Me and daddy came to see you!”

Zayn took off his mask and set his brush down unto a container of water before he settled a warm hand to Ethan’s damp curls. “S’at so, babe?”

Ethan nodded, squeezing Zayn’s leg tighter. “Missed you.”

Zayn scooped him up, arm secure around the little boy who had him wrapped around his little finger. “Missed you too, babe. Where’s your daddy?”

Ethan shrugged, pointing towards the front, where Zayn could hear Liam and Harry laughing. It made him warm that Liam was weaving himself into Zayn’s life - and that his friends approved of their relationship. He turned his attention back to Ethan, who was playing with the thick hair that was starting to curl slightly at the nape of Zayn’s neck, his eyes on the large canvas that Zayn had been working on.

“D’ya like it, Eth?” He asked, shifting his weight as he brought them closer. 

Ethan nodded. “Pretty colours,” he whispered, fingers curling in and out of Zayn’s hair, eyes full of wonder. 

“They remind me of you, and your daddy,” Zayn whispered, an admission he felt brave enough to tell a five year old. “Wanna paint today?”

Ethan cheered, little hands raising above their heads in excitement, just as Liam rounded the corner, the drinks and snacks in hand.

“We’re not interrupting, are we?” Liam asked as he took a few steps to cross the distance between them. Zayn watched the way Liam licked over his lips before he leaned in to draw a soft kiss to Zayn’s, much to the amusement of Ethan between them.

“If I get kisses like those,” Zayn began when Liam pulled away. “You can interrupt any time, babe.”

Liam’s grin made Zayn’s cheeks hurt. “I brought you tea and some scones. Figured we’d hang out with you for a bit, then we could do the shopping together and have a proper meal tonight. Maybe stew?”

Zayn set Ethan down and took the tea from Liam, leaning up to kiss his jaw. “Sounds ace,” he murmured quietly, sliding his free hand to Liam’s hip. He was damp from the rain, but his body was warm. “You smell like autumn.” 

Liam grinned, tilting into the kiss. “There’s a first. Ethan claimed I smelled bad this morning. I’m starting to get a complex.” 

Zayn led them over to his station, filling Liam in on the project he was working on for the Library. He set Ethan up with a small easel and some watercolours, while Liam sat in an office chair, drinking his tea and watching Zayn work.

It was extremely calming, having the two of them there. Things had shifted since Liam’s birthday - especially after Ethan had called Zayn  _papa_. It hadn’t happened again, and neither of them had brought it up, but the dynamic had changed, their relationship felt stronger, and Zayn knew at some point they’d have to talk about it.

Because in his mind, he wanted to be part of their lives for a long time to come. He wanted Ethan to see him as a parental figure, and he wanted Liam to trust him with his son.

Early afternoon turned into early evening. Liam and Ethan helped Zayn clean up his studio: washing his brushes and putting lids on paints and spray cans. They hung Ethan’s artwork along a line that ran across the back of the studio: just messes of colours and shapes, but beautiful in their abstract way.

Zayn helped Ethan back into his rain gear while Liam spoke with Harry again, inviting him and Niall over for dinner one night soon. 

They went to the shops and picked out what they needed for dinner, with Ethan sitting in the cart while the two of them took turns pushing it, fingers brushing, shoulders knocking, with identical smiles and equal love.

They walked back to Liam’s flat - the rain had cleared, though the skies were still a silvery-grey, and the air was cool. Ethan stomped through the puddles, while Liam tangled his fingers with Zayn’s, swinging their hands between them.

They made dinner together, while Ethan watched spiderman on the telly.

Zayn gave Ethan his bath while Liam checked on some work emails and got himself ready for tomorrow.

Liam found them in Ethan’s bed, with Zayn reading him  _Oh The Places You’ll Go!_ And he climbed in with them, marvelling at the way Ethan was absolutely enthralled and into each word, each picture…until his eyes grew heavy and he curled into Zayn’s side, his face peaceful, angelic.

Later that evening, Liam and Zayn shared a warm bath with slow kisses and lazy touches, just content to be in each others presence. To share these quiet moments, to unwind together.

When Liam curled his arm around Zayn’s waist that night as he pressed himself into Zayn, his hand warm and possessive against the other man’s thigh, his lips soft against Zayn’s ear as Zayn pushed his hips back, enjoying the slow pressure, the ebb and flow of their movements, the drag of Liam inside of him…

Liam’s breath was hot on Zayn’s cheek as he rocked his hips into Zayn’s arse, enjoying the soft keening sounds coming from the other man, edging him, slow and sensual. He enjoyed the way Zayn’s fingers tried to find purchase in something, finally finding Liam’s fingers to cling onto tightly…

“What if…” Liam panted into Zayn’s ear, dragging their hands down Zayn’s taut stomach. “What if I said I loved you?”

Zayn groaned, eyes screwed tight shut. “I’d say I loved you more.”

“Impossible,” Liam grunted, shifting slightly to change the angle, their hands curling around Zayn’s erection. “Unfathomable…”

“Leeyum….” Zayn whined, his skin on fire. “What…”

“What if I said…” Liam’s voice trailed off, and Zayn could feel him press his face into the back of Zayn’s neck. ”What if I said I wanted to marry you?”

Zayn’s eyes shot open.


End file.
